Improvement in whiffletrees



F. CLEMENS.

Whffletree.

Patented Sept 11, 1866.

UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE FRANK OLEMENS, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT iN WHIFFLETREES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,867, dated September 11, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Bewit known that I, FRANK OLEMnNs, of La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Whiflietree; and IV do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication.

This improvement consists in the combination of a spring and pin With a clevis or strap, having for its object a means of detaching the horse or horses from the vehicle in case they become unmanageable and likely to peril and jeopardize the lives of the occupants of the carriage. A

It is Well known that it is often the case that horses attached to carriages become unmanageable from fright or other causes, and endanger the vehicle and lives ofthe occupants, and, being provided with no means of detaching the horses from the carriage, the driver, as well as others that may be in the carriage, have no means of extricating themselves from the imminent danger and misfortune to which they are subjected; but by my invention all the danger to Which persons are daily subjected is obviated, as the horses can at once be detached from the vehicle by a convenient and simple device at the hand of the driver.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed todescribe its construction andA operation.

Figure l is a top-plan view ot' my improved whit'lietree. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures. i

A represents the evener, made of Wood and of common construction, which is attached to the rear end of the pole ot' a carriage or other vehicle.

B B is the Whiftletree, which is also made of Wood in the ordinary manner, upon the top of which are attached four eyes, (represented by a a a an) through which a crank-shaft, C, passes. 'The crank in the said shaft is at its center, and to it is 'connected a chain or rope,

D. At the ends of the said shaft are formed levers that project out at right angles from the line ofthe shaft, to which they are connected by jack-keys c e, that pass through eyes in the ends of the pins F F. These pins F are attached to steel springs G Gr, that are secured to the Whiflletree at or near the center and extend to the end and front of the WhittieA tree.

This Whiletree is secured to the evener by means of a strap passing around the ends of the evener and projecting out in front to adis tance sufficient to receive the Whiftletree bea tween thestraps, as seen at H in Fig. l.

At the respective ends of the Whiftletree are also straps I I, the ends of which project out in front, for the purpose of receiving the cockeye of the tug of the harness.

O is a plate ot' metal secured to the middle of the evener, through which the hammer-bolt passes to secure the whiftletree to the pole and carriage.

The operation of this improvement is simple, easy, and effective, and consists in plac-v ing the cockeyes of the harness between the ends of the straps I I, and inserting the pins F F into t-he holes in the ends ofthe said straps I I, and the key' e is then introduced through the hole in the end of the said pin F, and the team is then fast to the carriage. The rope or chain D is then brought up to the hand of the driver, or at some convenient point Within his reach.

Now, in case the team becomes Vfractions and unmanageable, and the vehicle and occupants in danger, the driver, by a sudden pull on the chain or rope D, which is attached to the crank-shaft G, the ends of which are at; tached by a link or jack chain to the keys e, can instantly Withdraw said keys e e, and by the action of lthe springs Gr G the pins F are suddenly drawn out, and the team is at once detached from the carriage, at the same time leaving the Whitlietree attached to the carL riage, thus avoiding the oasualities attending the running away'ot' the team.

Devices of various kinds have been intro duced for detaching the Whiftletree with the team from the carriage, but are attended'v The crankshaft C, springs G G, and pins wit-h great danger of the horses injuring thein- F F, in combination with straps I I and whifselves by the Whifdetree coming in Contact etree B, for the purposes and substantially with their legs and other parts of their bodies `as described. i during their ight.- FRANK CLEMENS.

Having thus described my invention, what I Witnesses claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters JOHN A. STEIN, Patent, is GOLBURN RAiNEs. 

